--- title: 10 Questions with Bret Baier description: The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate canonical: https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/ author: Michael Scherer article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-23T11:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T09:30:45.387Z article:section: Politics og:title: 10 Questions with Bret Baier og:description: The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate og:url: https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d963736ec8ad02e/69885c170b72e35d586e50b3/bret-baier-10-questions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: bret-baier-10-questions og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Questions with Bret Baier twitter:description: The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d963736ec8ad02e/69885c170b72e35d586e50b3/bret-baier-10-questions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Questions with Bret Baier > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=29422cf1-5908-4234-9ff4-2311cff0222d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=29422cf1-5908-4234-9ff4-2311cff0222d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=29422cf1-5908-4234-9ff4-2311cff0222d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Michael Scherer](https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/) ## Michael Scherer Jul 23, 2015 11:00 AM UTC  The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate. The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate. Teresa Kroeger—Getty Images by [Michael Scherer](https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/) ## Michael Scherer Jul 23, 2015 11:00 AM UTC **Tell me the truth, Did anybody at Fox ever try to sketch out a 2016 Republican debate platform that fits 16 people?** No. Never. We from Day One said that the most people on a stage–that ever had been on a stage–was 10\. And that was all that was feasible on one stage. I mean we agonized over how to do it. **No** **_Hollywood Squares_** **, with a four-by-four grid?** Yeah, Trump for the block? I’ve moderated five of these things, and the biggest challenge is juggling the time and making sure that everybody stays to time. If you have more than 10 candidates, I just think it would be unwieldy. **Pollsters say that if you’re dealing with people who are polling inside the margin of error, within a percentage point of one another, you can’t reliably know who is polling in the top 10.** I would argue, What is a better way for a national debate in Cleveland on the same stage where the Republican nominee is going to accept the nomination? There has to be some measure, and we’re going to do our best to pick the best polls with the biggest samples. **The Real Clear Politics average has Chris Christie and Rick Perry at 2.8%, Rick Santorum at 1.8%, Carly Fiorina at 1.6%. Two of those four probably won’t make it.** That’s exactly right. And you know, there will be decisions to be made that week. And if there is a legitimate tie and we can’t break it, we may add another podium. **In 2012, Fox debuted the doorbell debate buzzer, confusing dogs around the nation. Will the doorbell be back?** We’re in the process of getting our sounds. The doorbell caused serious problems. I literally got 1,000 emails from dog owners who said they were racing to the door every time we rang it. And we were ringing it because the candidates were not paying attention. **Could any sound stop Donald Trump from talking if he gets on a roll?** I’m not sure. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say that I have woken up in cold sweats wondering how I’m going to deal with a Donald Trump who’s not listening. **The Republican National Committee has asked media organizations to partner with conservatives for the debates. CNN is bringing in Hugh Hewitt. At Fox, you’re doing it with three news anchors. Is that the RNC acknowledging that “fair and balanced” has a conservative tilt?** We didn’t like that stipulation from the beginning, and so we pushed back pretty hard because we wanted what we used last time to be our template. I’m surprised that the other networks went along with it. We wouldn’t. **Back in the 2012 debates, Fox News had some of the toughest questions of any of the networks. What makes a good debate question?** Short questions are best–ones that take them off their talking points, ones that can assume what you know they’re going to say about a certain issue because you’ve listened to it on the trail 7 billion times. **On a personal note, your son Paul, who was born with heart problems, is doing well.** He’s doing great. Growing like a weed. He’s 8, and he’s in all kinds of camps, unstoppable. He’s had three open-heart surgeries and seven angioplasties, and he’ll have another surgery probably in three to five years. **What did you learn about yourself through that whole process?** That there are much bigger things than this job. There are much bigger things than the politics that we cover day to day. And that I need to remember that every day. –MICHAEL SCHERER ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/"},"headline":"10 Questions with Bret Baier","datePublished":"2015-07-23T11:00:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T09:30:45.387Z","description":"The host of Fox News’ Special Report discusses Donald Trump, confused dogs and preparing for a crowded GOP presidential debate","url":"https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/","keywords":["10 Questions"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d963736ec8ad02e/69885c170b72e35d586e50b3/bret-baier-10-questions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michael Scherer","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/michael-scherer/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d963736ec8ad02e/69885c170b72e35d586e50b3/bret-baier-10-questions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"bret-baier-10-questions","caption":"bret-baier-10-questions","creditText":"Teresa Kroeger—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/10-questions/","name":"10 Questions"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3969245/10-questions-with-bret-baier/","name":"10 Questions with Bret Baier"}}]}] ```